Mendel is a Beagle of no club, the sort of pup who can find a mystery in a clean room. There is a small notebook Mendel carries, half theories about the swamp shrine and half crumbs. Pups passing the overgrown stadium rim sometimes wave to Mendel out of habit, even on days when nobody is actually there. Mendel suspects the universe rewards pups who share their snacks and ask the awkward questions.